1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the field of central depositories for living wills, testamentary wills, durable powers of attorney, insurance information and organ donor data banks.
2. Statement of the Problem:
In times of emergencies, there is often an urgent need for immediate access to important documents. For instance, the general public is becoming aware of their right to refuse medical treatment or terminate life support systems, in the event of imminent death or permanent unconsciousness. However, this right needs to be expressed in advance, through documents such as a living will and durable power of attorney.
These documents are typically, if at all, created, executed and filed in a haphazard manner, with little regard to their accuracy or uniformity, or to ease of access, security or to updating the documents for legal sufficiency in case of legislative changes or changes of residential jurisdiction. The documents are created in an individual manner and then filed away where they can be lost or destroyed. At best the documents are stored in a safety deposit box with limited access thereto. Generally, relatively few people provide for ready access to these documents, or other documents, such as living wills, testamentary wills and/or organ and blood marrow donor forms, at the times of crisis when these documents are most needed.
This is particularly true in today's mobile society where catastrophic accidents or illnesses can occur in locations away from home. An individual can be involved in a catastrophic accident or illness in a location far from home, and the treating medical facility will be unable to gain access to the necessary documents. Also, valuable time can be wasted in the instance of organ donations in trying to gain authorization from relatives.
These documents may also need to be periodically reviewed and revised as the laws change or situations are altered. The documents may be legally sufficient at the time of execution, but as legislation changes, the documents may be no longer valid. Also, a document executed in one jurisdiction may not be valid in another jurisdiction where the individual later resides.
In the situation of accidents or death, it may be difficult to verify insurance coverage, including health insurance and life insurance. Life insurance policies are often stored in inaccessible locations, thus slowing the benefit payments. Also, it may be awkward to verify health insurance coverage for treatment in remote locations.
Another related problem is in finding compatible donors for bone marrow transplants. Typically, in the instances where a bone marrow transplant is necessary, the donee must ask for volunteers. There is no central index for potential donors to be cross-typed according to compatibility.
Therefore a need exists for a central depository which can solve these and other problems.